Improvement in pens



` Diarree Eaten? trice,

lEViPROVEiViENT IN PENS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,622, dated April 3, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concert/i.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. HUDsoN, of East Cambridge. in the county ot' Middlesex and State ot' Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention or Improvement having reference to Vriting-Pens; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specitcation, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which` Figure l is a top View, Fig. 2 a side elevation, Fig. 3 a bottoni view, Fig. et a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a transverse section, ot' a pen provided with my invention, which consists in an improved method of applying a ruler-guard to Vthe pen-handle or the pensocket tube thereof.

I am aware that it is not new to combine with a pen an attachment for the purpose of guarding the edge ot' a ruler or preventing ink from the pen from getting on such edge during the process of ruling a line by means of suoli pen and ruler, such attachment being represented in the patent granted to Frederick Bracket-t on the 14th day ot' November, A. D. 1865.

My invention is an improvement iu the construction and application of the ruler-guard.

In carrying out my invention I combine the guard with a slotted tube to encompass the pen-carrier and be capable of being freely slid longitudinally thereon, in order that the guard may be moved in a direction either toward or away from the nib ofthe pen.

Vhen at its lowest position the guard will be in a situation to protect the edge of a ruler, as the guard, during the operation ot' ruling a line by the pen, is borne against the edge of the ruler and eiectually shields it from the ink in the pen.

\Vhen the guard is in its highest position it will be out ot' the way of being dipped with the pen into the inl; at such times as it may be desirable to supply the pen with ink.

The advantage of having the guard applied to a slide-tube encompassing the pen-carrier is that such tube not only enables the fingers of a person, while applied to the pen carrier or handle, to be adjusted thereto as circumstances may require, but it enables the guard, while the operation ot' ruling a line is being carried on, to be held down firmly by both the thumb and the second or third fingers of the hand applied to the tube and its carrier.

The slide-tube is every way more convenient than a stationary tube fixed to the side ot' the pen carrier and containing a rod and a spring, the rod being extended beyond the tube for the purpose o constituting a rulerguard, and the spring serving to retract the rod when not used for guarding a ruler.

' In the drawings, a denotes the pen, b its carrier, and c the handle thereof.

A is the ruler-guard, it being a projection from a tube, B, which encompasses the carrier b, and so as to be capable ot being slid longitudinally thereon. The said tube B has a slot, c, made lengthwisein it. A rivet or stop-pin, d, goes through the said slot and a ferrule or ring, e, which encircles the slide-tube.

The upper end ot' the slot, when in contact with the rivet or pin, serves with it as a means of arresting the guard or determining its lowest position. The tube when retracted is estopped by a shoulder, g, projecting from the pencar rier.

The slot serves not only to prevent the tube from revolving' on the pen-carrier, but enables such tube, with the guard, to be moved longitudinally on the said carrier as circumstances may require.

I make no claim to the aforementioned invention ot' the said Brackett as patented by him; but

I claim- As an improvement thereon, the application ot' the ruler-guard A to the pen-carrier b by means of a tube, B, to encompass and slide on the said carrier, such tube being furnished with a slot, c, or its equivalent, to operate with a stop, d, projecting trom the carrier, as set forth.

THOS. S. HUDSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, FREDERICK GURTIs. 

